N2.1b earned allowance: UI-SSANU, NASU fault report

The University of Ibadan (UI) chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian University (NASU) faulted yesterday a report, which alleged that the unions planned to disrupt the university operation because of the N2.1 billion earned allowance released by the Federal Government.

Of the initial N100 billion earned allowance, only N40 billion was reportedly released by the Federal Government to the universities.

UI was said to have got N2.1 billion.

The chairmen of the unions at UI, Comrade Wale Akinremi and Olusola Fatoki, described the report as damning and deceitful.

Akinremi said: “We held a congress on October 24, when we were alerted that the earned allowance was ready. We held the congress to intimate our members on how the money would be shared and to ensure that none of them was cheated.

“Why would the media suggest that we were planning to hold the vice chancellor hostage and embark on strike?

“We have not reached the stage of holding anybody hostage in this civilised environment. We do not use a criminal method to achieve our aims. We are not paralysing or shutting down any office, because the money has not even been shared and the school authority does not have the power not to disburse it.

“We only want the rights of our members to be respected. Consistently, there has been a rapport between our union and the school’s management.”

Akinremi said the report was one-sided, because only the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Chairman’s reaction was taken.